The Dominici Affair: Murder and Mystery in Provence

In the depths of Provence, rural France in 1952, distinguished British Scientist Sir Jack Drummond, his wife Lady Anne and 10-year-old daughter Elizabeth were murdered at their makeshift campsite.

These murders remain one of the most notorious in European modern history. The case was a sensation and it was a farmer, the proprietor of the farm near where the Drummond family were camping, who was convicted of the murders.

But that wasn’t the end of the story…that’s why this book by Martin Kitchen is so gripping. Kitchen’s The Dominici Affair is a true deep dive into this case and what happened in 1960 and after ( the convicted killer was released from jail on the order of then President Charles De Gaulle).

This isn’t just a true crime book. There’s the fascinating social history of France, that cracks open for people to learn about after the terrible murders. Crime and society intersect so naturally so that’s why I found this book to be such a rich read.

I found this book a very satisfying read. I’m a 40-something woman in Australia and Kitchen’s book allowed me to learn about the way that French rural communities lived and the post World War II changes that posed great challenges to the way of life for these communities. (I’ve actually been to France several times and spent time in rut stunning Dordogne region but at the time I didn’t really appreciate the whole experience in terms of history as much as I would now.)